History of Datca

PARADISE OF HISTORY AND NATURE, DATCA

God sends its most beloved people to Knidos (Datca) to have long lives.

Strabon

When you think that words are not enough and how hard and unexplainable it is while talking about an event, a phenomenon to a person who does not experience this, we say “can’t be told but only experienced” with a cliché expression known by everybody.

Datca has shimmery, deep blue, 52 big and small coves which have the quality of an aquarium on the coastline of 235 km which connects Mediterranean and Aegean Sea.

Our county, which does not have big residence centers and industry facilities, has an extraordinary clean sea as well as its air. Although our country has beaches with blue flags, it is also possible to have a sea delight at other points with peace of mind.

Datca is exactly like an aquarium heaven with all neat beaches and coves that it has at the county centre and surrounding areas. It is another kind pleasure to have sea delight with its neat waters and blue flag coves.

If you pass by Datca you should absolutely see the Old Datca. Do not pay too much attention to the fact that its name is Old Datca. Here is the most organized one among the districts of Datca and also a place which has all the favorite places of recent years. Being old, being the first settlement area and having a majority of the old ruined buildings. Now those ruined buildings are raised one by one. Old Datca houses which have two floors at most has given a visual richness with stone dressing which is a product of art and also with its narrow streets ornamented with begonvilles.

Knidos is carried to Tekir Cape in 4th century B.C. for commercial reasons. The city which has been established against Hippodamus plan has temples, holy areas, theaters and magnificent buildings which are all more beautiful than one another. Lots of scientists and artists have grown up here. Second largest and most important medical school of the history is opened in Knidos. Beauty of the Statue of Aphrodite, who is considered to be the Goddess of love and beauty, which has been made by Sculptor Praxiteles as a naked woman becomes legendary. People come from lands far away to visit Knidos just to see this statue.

Richness of Datca in terms of plants is known since the ancient ages. It is very clear that this quality has played an important role for Knidos to be an important medical center. Climate qualities are the major reason of Flora richness. When you say Datca flora almond comes to mind first. It does not matter if you think of green almond of the spring or of the almond kernel after the spring. Datca almond has an important existence in both terms.

Windmills by the side of Marmaris highway which we have seen while we were passing through Kizlan area, which seem to have lost their hopes, which looks a little tired and angry and the arms of which we have cut thus stealing their wind. One of these windmills has been restored by Association of Datca District Governorship for Taking Services to the Villages and has been presented to the service of tourism.

Solemnity of the olive oil, the fact that it is the most noble of all the trees must be resulting from the fact that it is a tree which comes from times the age of which cannot even be estimated. Olive oil which is the juice of olive fruit gains different tastes in every region where it gets its water and wind. there is nothing to say about the taste of golden fluid of Datca which turns to green from yellow.

There is only green, blue and you on Datca coves

Our Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, wonderful coves and gulfs at these coasts constitute the focus of cruise line today. Ancient ruins and monuments becoming integrated with natural beauties during the cruise becomes its ornament which cannot be had enough. The name Mavi Yolculuk (Cruise Trip) belongs to Sabahattin Eyuboğlu. It would be good to note that you can understand why this trip is called as “mavi” (blue) only after it ended.

The sea and the sky are all before you during this deep blue trip, at every tone of the blue. Datca is a peninsula which is virgin in all aspects and which feels itself prepared for world tourism with its natural beaches, its sea and sun.

Datca almond is the most delicious almond of Turkey. We have various species of almonds such as Nurlu, Ak, Kababağ, Dedebağ, Sira and Dis almonds. The most quality one is Nurlu whereas the one that is most easily eaten is Dis almond with thin shells. The almond which has a green outer shell and which is eaten fresh is called green almond (cağla). Its Latin name is Prunos Amygdalus and Prunusdulcis. One of them is a sweet almond species while the other is a bitter one and they contain phosphor, zinc, copper, calcium, iron and special oils. It has a high nutritional value and it is used in many areas in pharmaceuticals. Datca almond is accepted as the best almond in the world and American almonds come second.

HISTORY OF DATCA

Knidos has the real democracy.

Aristotle

History of the findings in Datca peninsula goes back to 2000 B.C. Carians is the first known local people. It has had its most brilliant period during Dorians period. They have come to the region through Greece by coming down over Thracia during 1000 B.C. They founded Knidos at Burgaz Area which is to 1.5 kilometer northeast of the centre of current Datca county. Knidos has become the centre of Dorian civilization and it has gone under the reign of Persians from Lydians in 546 B.C. This peninsula, which has lots of archeological remains, has hosted important civilizations throughout the history. Knidos ancient city is the most important one among them. Remains of 28 churches in the peninsula belonging to the recent period also show us that the area has also had mystic roots. If we are to summarize the general history Datca has been ruled by Carians first and then by Dorians after 1000 B.C. Knidos has been carried to the place where the magnificent remains of today are seen, that is the edge point of the peninsula for commercial reasons in 4th century B.C. Dorians and Romans have built many temples in Knidos. Temples have left its place to churches during Late Romans and Early Byzantine period. The population of the city has reached around to 70 thousand. The city which has been weakened with earthquakes and the pirate attacks have been completely deserted during the latest period of Byzantine reign and the population of the peninsula has decreased to thousands of people at that time. Settlements on the peninsula have been connected to Mentesoğullari Principality in 13th century. In 15th century it has become an Ottoman Empire land and taken the name “Datca”. The name “Datca” in Sultan Resat, who was one of the latest Ottoman padishahs, has been changed to "Resadiye”. During the time of the foundation of the Turkish Republic it has been named "Datca" again. In 1047 the centre has been carried to the Iskele District which is its current place today.

Dorians have founded six cities under the name of Hexapolis Federation. Knidos, which is one of those cities, has been founded on Datca Peninsula and become the centre of the federation. Dorians have wanted to turn the peninsula into an island by opening a channel at the location called Balikasiran to fight against Persian attacks (B.C. 546). However, the rocks, which turned out to be tougher and sharper than expected, have caused some scarring on the hands and faces of the workers and thinking that they were punished by Gods, they gave up the idea. Persian people have been welcomed in a friendly manner. Datca Peninsula has been controlled by Athena people, Romans and finally Mentese Bey from Germiyanogullari Principality in 1282 after the Persian reign. Yildirim Beyazit has made Datca an Ottoman Empire land in 1390 and the name has been changed to Resadiye during the reign of Sultan Resad. During the period of the republic it has become a district associated to Muğla Province.

Sari Liman (Yellow Port)

Remains belonging to the period of Burgaz settlement, which was the place where Knidos was first established, have been excavated by METU on behalf of the T.C. Ministry of Culture since 1998 with the support of Gerda-Henkel Foundation through the cooperation of German Institution of Scientific Research. According to Prof Dr. Numan Tuna this is the place which the famous historian of the ancient age, Herodotus mentioned in his work, where the federation of 6 Dorian cities gathered and organized competitions in the name of Apollon and the famous Apollon Temple where the prizes awarded to the people winning the competitions is also located here. According to this, the results of the excavation, especially the findings discovered during the excavations made in lower terrace have shown that Emecik Sari Liman Holy area has been important even for people who live overseas until 6th century B.C. The findings area also interesting in terms of displaying the samples of crockery and limestone and earthenware figurines, which have all been known as belonging to Eastern Greece but have been identified as Knidos goods later, with a rich variety as well as displaying the large hinterland where export goods from Egypt, Phoenicia and Etruscan origins have been identified. Epigraphic data obtained in the holy area and the qualities shown by valuable archeological works, which have been understood to be votive belongings, show that Archaic Age Emecik Holy Area can be associated to Apollon. Votives, vows, statues, figures of bulls, hawk and warriors, which are going back to 8th – 9th century B.C., have been found during the excavations made in Apollon Temple; it has been revealed during the excavations made in and around the temple that some other temples and churches have been established here in the later periods.

Climate in Datca

Datca climate which has the typical Mediterranean climate has a long holiday period because of its mild climate. The average temperature during summer months is 32 degrees while the humidity rate is between 35-60%. The cool summer breezes blowing from the north eliminate the suffocating heat and moisture. Temperature in winter months is between 12 and 14 degrees. Even when a large part of our country is under the effect of a cold weather the rain in Datca lets the sun to show its face even in winter months. Almost 300 days of a year is sunny in Datca. The appropriate climate attracts not only the people coming for vacations but also foreign and domestic people who are coming here to settle. Regarding this Datca people say; “One summer ends and another starts here, this is Sarica summer". If it snows here, which happens very rarely, it becomes a carnival for Datca people who do not see snow a lot.
Almond trees blossom in January, and mimosas follow them; the season is spring now. Halikarnas Balikcisi (Halikarnas Fisher) Cevat sakir has said it well about Datca’s weather: "The climate is just as big as the human size. Both the cold and the heat do not go beyond a person’s resistance. There is no need to amend the climate with coats, stoves or fans."
3 B of Datca

They say Datca is famous with its three “B”; bal (honey), badem (almond) and balik (fish).

However, if there is anything that adds to the fame of Datca it is remoteness of its roads. Datca Peninsula, which is named by its local people as “a blind street” and which has Aegean Seas to the North and Mediterranean Sea to the South, mostly owes the fact that it has protected its virginity and wild nature until the present day to these geographical problems.

Datca almond is the tastiest almond of Turkey. There are various species of almond such as Nurlu, Ak, Kababağ, Dedebağ, Sira and Dis almonds. The most quality one is Nurlu and the one that is easily eaten is Dis almond. The fruit that is eaten while the outer shells of almond are green and fresh is called Green almond. The Latin name of it is Prunos Amygdalus and Prunusdulcis. One of them is a sweet almond while the other is a bitter one and it contains phosphor, zinc, copper, calcium, iron and special oils. Its nutrient value is very high and it is used in many areas in pharmacy. Data almond is accepted as the best almond in the world right now and American almonds come second.
Its season is between February and April. The almond kernel which is sold within ice by travelling salesman on trays is obtained by removing the shell of the almond that has matured between the months of May and June. The fruit which is collected from trees during July-August months after the outer shells are opened, which is dried under the sun and sold with or without its shells is called “almond” or “dry almond”. Datca people put one or two almonds inside the dry fig and put it in the oven. That is called ' fig with almond'. Also, an almond type which is mixed with honey is sold in jars.

We are pretty sure that Datca fish are the most delicious fish around here. Fishery sector has also developed in Datca and it has become the income source of a part of the local people. You can see some of the fish species fished in Datca below.